Standby Diesel Generator Maintenance
- By Kelsey Lepperd
- Oct 16, 2016
According to one of our trusted manufacturers, your diesel powered engine's life expectancy is 22,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hour with a natural gas engine, 1,500 hours with a propane engine, and 2,000 hours with a gasoline engine. That's a big difference! 24 hour fuel costs stack up too: $93.20 for natural gas, $90.72 for propane, $57.12 for gasoline, but only $25.21 for a diesel engine!* These differences can mean better savings and more of your money left in your wallet, but it also depends on the level and quality of maintenance you perform on your standby diesel generator. Following a regular maintenance schedule should be one of your top priority to keep your generator performing its best!
Weekly Maintenance
- Run your generator with no load
- While your generator is running, make sure it has no alarm or warning signals
- Double check fuel levels
- Make sure your generator is turned to "auto" mode
- Your circuit breaker should be closed
- Check for any fluid leaks
Monthly Maintenance
- Check the level of your engine coolant
- Check the level of your engine oil
- Check your battery charger
Bi-Annual Maintenance should be scheduled with your certified technician
- Inspection of the enclosure
- Check battery electrolyte level and specific gravity
- Inspection of drive belts
- Inspection of coolant heater
- Inspection of battery cables and connections
- Inspection of coolant lines and connections
- Inspection of any oil leaks, lubrication system hoses, connectors
- Inspection of the exhaust system, muffler, exhaust pipe
- Check for any fuel leaks; inspectin of fuel system hoses, connectors
- Clean air cleaner units
- Inspection of air induction connections and piping
- Inspection of DC electrical system, control panel, accessories
- Inspection of AC wiring, accessories
Annual Maintenance should be scheduled with a certified technician
- Change: oil and filter, fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs
- Clean crankcase breather
- Check coolant concentration
- Flush cooling system as needed
- Perform annual load bank testing
- Fuel testing and reconditioning
- Remove any water from fuel tank
*Numbers provided by Aurora Diesel Generators based on fuel cost X consumption rate for 10kW x 24 hours
